US-Canada border plan slowed by bad data

No matter the size or complexity of a project, there is one factor that can cause serious damage. Data quality limitations are so devastating because they strike at the root of an effort and can cause all work done with certain figures to be problematic. According to The Globe and Mail, such a problem may be afoot on the border between the U.S. and Canada.

The source stated that authorities in the two countries have come to a new tentative deal to tighten border security using lists of people entering and exiting the countries through various methods, especially air transit, to cut down on improper activity. The information collected, however, has been flawed in the past.

"[A 2006] study found that 37 percent of data transmitted by the airlines for these flights was not accurate, potentially hindering the proper identification of high-risk travellers," read one Canadian memo in the issue, according to the source.

No matter the field, data quality problems can snowball. According to CIO contributor Andy Hayler, this may stem from the perception that information management is a less than glamorous task. He noted that it is important to keep data in line, but that many professionals overlook it.